Photos to sell small products On-line/ebay

I have done a lot of Ebay and On-line forum specialty sales of small valuable items. Recently I have been taking better pictures and it has helped sales in two ways. I can ask more for my used object because the customer gets a better idea of the condition. My items also sell much faster.

I set up a light box by making a three sided box out of the light diffusers used on commercial Florescent lights like you might find in a classroom. Then I hung 6 cheap walmart flood light fixtures over it with 100 watt Daylight bulbs.

Plenty of light for any Fstop I want. Does not seem to produce terrible hot shots either. What do you think? How do you do these kinds of photos?

Feel free to edit

The shots look good to me...here is an article from the strobist website about a similar kind of setup you might find interesting.

lens pirate wrote in post #6248395
What do you think? How do you do these kinds of photos?

I don't sell weapons, but that's good lighting, IMHO. I'd put them on a solid background though. I'm a fan of the knock-out white backgrounds you see most products on.

lens pirate wrote in post #6248395
Feel free to edit

OK. This is what I mean. It's pretty quick and easy if you shoot on a white (or at least solid) background to begin with. Even items that are one-offs can be done quickly this way. It's easier to be more accurate when you have the original size file to work with.


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I think the real test of whether or not the setup will be universally effective would be when using a subject that is more reflective - something like chrome plate, or a hi-gloss painted item. If it's still producing an acceptable image under those condition, you've got a winner.

big fan of 1911. these are 1911s right?

cdifoto wrote in post #6248839
I don't sell weapons, but that's good lighting, IMHO. I'd put them on a solid background though. I'm a fan of the knock-out white backgrounds you see most products on.


OK. This is what I mean. It's pretty quick and easy if you shoot on a white (or at least solid) background to begin with. Even items that are one-offs can be done quickly this way. It's easier to be more accurate when you have the original size file to work with.


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That edit is Sweet... I know how to change the background... But I have no idea how you added the cool Shadow. Very nice. Oh and thanks for the validation on the lighting!

Jim

craiglee wrote in post #6249131
big fan of 1911. these are 1911s right?

Sort of. Not to purists. But yes.

lens pirate wrote in post #6249551
That edit is Sweet... I know how to change the background... But I have no idea how you added the cool Shadow. Very nice. Oh and thanks for the validation on the lighting!

Jim

To do the shadow, just follow this tutorial, then gaussian blur the snot out of the shadow layer.

cdifoto wrote in post #6249568
To do the shadow, just follow this tutorial, then gaussian blur the snot out of the shadow layer.

GREAT LINK.... I Am taking a photoshop class right now and it is enough to
keep me tinkering for a lifetime.

It is not a good practice to mix incandescent and fluorescent lighting together. Both of the images have a very noticeable greenish tint which is caused by the color of the fluorescent lights. If the mix between incandescent and fluorescent lighting were homogeneous throughout the image, then you would be able to get a better approximation of a white balance. However, that is not very feasible especially when the two different types of lighting are independently arranged. The end result will be that the lighting is always uneven ... some parts will be illuminated more by the fluorescent lights while other parts will be illuminated more by the incandescent lights which tend to impart an orange color temperature.

I would suggest going with either incandescent photo floods or with broad spectrum CFL lights that have a high CRI. The composition of your photographs and their sharpness of detail are all very positive factors and I think that this little lighting detail which may not necessarily be consciously noticed by everyone, still would improve the overall quality and reflect on the professionalism of your ebay store.

One other area that has already been mentioned by cdiphoto is the background. I think that a white or solid neutral gray would be a better choice than the counter top. Flotone makes a "studio gray" graduated background paper (it is actually plastic) where the bottom edge is photo paper white and it gradually tansitions to middle gray at the top. It is arranged so that the lower white edge is horizontal on the table and then the top edge is swept up and backwards so that the top edge is at approximately a 45 degree angle. Lighting is very simple with graduated background paper. Typically, two lights are sufficient using umbrella reflectors or a diffuser of some sort. You can even set this up inside a light tent. Finally, some careful placement of baffles can be used to add just the right amount of shadow or soften any reflections that are too hot.

Below is an edited version in which white balance was changed to remove the green cast. As shown in the image, it works well where the light is consistent with the point of the barrel that I picked for the white balance, BUT as you can see the shadows receive different illumination (probably more fluorescent) so the shaded areas have a greenish-brown cast. I pasted in part of the original to illustrate the color shift.

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bill boehme wrote in post #6250745
It is not a good practice to mix incandescent and fluorescent lighting together. Both of the images have a very noticeable greenish tint which is caused by the color of the fluorescent lights. If the mix between incandescent and fluorescent lighting were homogeneous throughout the image, then you would be able to get a better approximation of a white balance. However, that is not very feasible especially when the two different types of lighting are independently arranged. The end result will be that the lighting is always uneven ... some parts will be illuminated more by the fluorescent lights while other parts will be illuminated more by the incandescent lights which tend to impart an orange color temperature.

I would suggest going with either incandescent photo floods or with broad spectrum CFL lights that have a high CRI. The composition of your photographs and their sharpness of detail are all very positive factors and I think that this little lighting detail which may not necessarily be consciously noticed by everyone, still would improve the overall quality and reflect on the professionalism of your ebay store.

One other area that has already been mentioned by cdiphoto is the background. I think that a white or solid neutral gray would be a better choice than the counter top. Flotone makes a "studio gray" graduated background paper (it is actually plastic) where the bottom edge is photo paper white and it gradually tansitions to middle gray at the top. It is arranged so that the lower white edge is horizontal on the table and then the top edge is swept up and backwards so that the top edge is at approximately a 45 degree angle. Lighting is very simple with graduated background paper. Typically, two lights are sufficient using umbrella reflectors or a diffuser of some sort. You can even set this up inside a light tent. Finally, some careful placement of baffles can be used to add just the right amount of shadow or soften any reflections that are too hot.

Below is an edited version in which white balance was changed to remove the green cast. As shown in the image, it works well where the light is consistent with the point of the barrel that I picked for the white balance, BUT as you can see the shadows receive different illumination (probably more fluorescent) so the shaded areas have a greenish-brown cast. I pasted in part of the original to illustrate the color shift.

Hosted photo: posted by Bill Boehme in
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forum: Critique Corner

I need some time to digest this. For now I will say that I am truly grateful for the effort and time you guys have spent to help me, a guy you don't even know.

This just a wonderful hobby and seems to draw a very good bunch of people. I hope someday to learn enough to give back to this community.

OK I tried a white background. What that did was to show case the serious issues I Am having working with White balance. Only one source of light here.
The daylight florescent bulbs.

You know you can't sell guns or gun replicas on ebay right?

I isolated the knife and set a WB with curves, then desaturate 50%
also played around with DOF with sharpening the FG and bluring the BG, to bring the attention on the black string at the FG so that the attention was not brought to the small defects on the blade.

med green felt is one of the best backgrounds for gun photos.
The gun rags use it all the time.